Aldrich Killian
Aldrich Killian is the main antagonist of Ironman 3. Killian created his own version "The Mandarin" to be a cover of his operations, was the CEO, Founder, and Owner of the technology company "A.I.M - Advanced Idea Mechanics" and was a multi-millionaire scientist and terrorist. He is portrayed by Guy Pearce. Ironman 3 Aldrich Killian grew up with a number of physical disabilities that he was never able to accept, and spent most of his life trying to overcome them in any way that he could. Killian's tenacity and blind determination in fighting for a better life were seen by some as irritating, as he often came across as obnoxious. Killian couldn’t accept the cards that he was dealt, and, as intelligent as he was, he had a real drive to change himself and became a different person. On New Year's Eve, 1999 in Bern, Switzerland, Killian initially asked for Tony Stark's support for his project under Advanced Idea Mechanics, only to be shunned and ignored by the latter. Tony lied and said that he would meet him on the roof of the building, but never came. After his realization that Tony had ignored his proposition, Killian briefly contemplated on committing suicide. Afterwards, Killian's lonesome presence on the roof caused him to relish in his state of anonymity, in which he decided to work on his own in creating an expansive and covert business for himself. Over the years, through his privately-funded organization A.I.M., Killian created a team to further research and develop Extremis, which imparted unusual levels of strength and resiliency to human subjects. After he cured himself of his disability through Maya Hansen's research of Extremis, Killian conducted many illegal experiments, of which several resulted in the explosions of his test subjects. Killian decided to masquerade his failed experiments as terrorist attacks, but he needed someone to fulfill the role of a supposed leader; a feared terrorist who would publicly take responsibility for said "attacks". After he researched the history of The Ten Rings, one of the most feared terrorist groups in the world, and how they were historically affiliated with the man called The "Mandarin", Killian decided to give that name to his own fake terrorist. He found the failed British actor, Trevor Slattery and paid him in money and drugs to play The Mandarin. Whenever one of Killian's experiments with Extremis failed, and caused explosions and a great number of civilian casualties, Killian's men hacked the American TV signals and relayed TV broadcasts of The "Mandarin". Surrounded with the iconography of The Ten Rings, The "Mandarin" would constantly declare that those supposed "attacks" were "another lesson" for the American people. However, neither Killian nor Slattery knew that The Mandarin was real. Killian approached Pepper Potts of Stark Industries to join him in the funding and research of Extremis. At first, Pepper was amazed by Killian's physical changes since she last saw him. Then, Killian began the pitch and explained Extremis by using a 3D hologram of his own brain and showed how Extremis could upgrade a person's entire DNA. However, Pepper argued that the concept would be highly weaponizable and refused. Killian said goodbye to Pepper and left Stark Industries. By masking his illegal activities, Killian was able to conduct his experiments while perpetuating a new "War on Terror" that he could monopolize and control. When Tony publicly threatened The Mandarin, Killian answered by sending his men to attack Tony's Mansion. Upon discovering that Maya attempted to save Tony due to him holding the knowledge of perfecting Extremis, Killian decided to kidnap Pepper as leverage. Tony was captured by Eric Savin when he discovered the truth about Trevor. Killian kept him captured and had Pepper as his hostage. Killian injected her with Extremis to further motivate and antagonize Tony to work for him. With Tony's continued refusal to help him, Killian decided to leave him in captivity while keeping Pepper as his personal "trophy". When Maya had a change of heart and tried to convince Killian to set Tony free by threatening to overdose of Extremis, Killian casually shot and killed her. Killian's soldiers also managed to capture Colonel James Rhodes, as Killian needed to use The Iron Patriot armor to kidnap President Matthew Ellis. Killian used his Extremis powers to slowly heat up The Iron Patriot Suit until Rhodes was forced to leap out and tried and fought his way out. Killian used his fire breath to stop Rhodes, who was so shocked, that he gave up. After his men abducted President Ellis, Killian planned to orchestrate a live feed by showing the murder of Ellis, only for Tony and Rhodes to interrupt and attack their base with the help of Tony's J.A.R.V.I.S. controlled Iron Man Suits. In the ensuing battle, Tony finally found Pepper, only for her to be trapped under debris. Before Tony was able to rescue her, an angry Killian attacked him with Tony distracting him to rescue Pepper. While Pepper seemingly died after falling to her apparent death, Killian approached Tony for a one-on-one battle. The two engaged in a brutal fight with Tony switching between various Iron Man Suits as Killian destroyed each one after another. Since Tony was unable to attach any more extra armor onto himself, J.A.R.V.I.S. sent the Mark 42 Prototype to aid him in his battle. Tony then kinetically attached the armor onto Killian to stall his movements. After he commanded the suit to pin Killian against the wall, Tony then activated the Mark 42's self-destruct function, which seemingly blew Killian up in the process. However, thanks to his Extremis powers, Killian survived the explosion, and after the complex in which the two were fighting was demolished, he confronted the battered Tony. Advancing towards Tony, Killian was proud of his crimes, asserted to be The "Mandarin" himself, and elaborated that the two should stop wearing "false faces". Just before Killian was able to attack Tony, Pepper attacked him from behind, and survived her fall with the help of her newfound Extremis abilities. Just before Killian was able to retaliate, Pepper ripped a repulsor arm from the Mark X Suit, attached it to herself, utilized its capabilities, and finally killed Killian. Category:Iron Man Villains Category:Love rivals Category:Deceased Villains Category:Lover Stealer Category:Master Manipulator